Whatever It Takes
by The Scarletclad Mage
Summary: Katniss and Peeta are freezing and starving in the arena. Katniss has to convince the sponsors of her love for Peeta or they both will die. She will keep him alive. Whatever it takes. KxP LEMON
1. Katniss

A/N: So this is new territory for me. I've never written like this or anything remotely PWP. This fic was born of a rainy night and too much tequila. Hunger Games is my newest obsession. I have been meaning to explore the dynamic between Peeta and Katniss for a while. As I was writing this, it felt very long in my drunken stupor. Reading back over it with a clear head, it now seems too short and to the point. I might end up elongating it or taking it down completely. Tell me what you think. Thanks!

WHATEVER IT TAKES

By: The Scarletclad Mage

Even though we huddled in the sleeping bag, I could feel his body like a block of ice next to mine. The nights are getting worse. If only we could light a fire! We could warm up, cook the bits of fish left, dry our clothes. Even as I think the words, I sigh in despair knowing that any fire would be an inviting homing beacon to our location. I grit my teeth and curl up closer to Peeta. Even in sleep he is always looking out for me. He hugs me to him, resting his hand in the small of my back. I can feel him shivering.

We need help. We need sponsors. I could almost hear Haymitch in my head, _Play up the romance, sweetheart! _But how? We're freezing to death in some god-forsaken cave in the arena. A handful of kisses isn't going to save us, especially after all the kissing we've already managed to do so far. We need another plan, a better plan. When it hits me at last, the idea is repulsive. The Capitol has taken everything away from me and now I'm giving in? What kind of person does that make me? Beside me, Peeta shivers again and I know that I'll do whatever it takes to save him. The boy with the bread. Would he ever forgive me? Whatever it takes…

"Peeta," I whisper, my voice wavering. He opens those beautiful blue eyes and looks down at me, tightening his grip on me.

"Hey Katniss," he mutters back sleepily and kisses my forehead.

"Peeta, I'm so cold," I say quietly. Immediately, both his hands are on my back rubbing furiously. His touch is so comforting.

"Better?" he asks, kissing me lightly on the nose.

I take a deep breath. I'll do whatever it takes. "Not really," I manage to say. "It's our clothes. We have to get out of these wet clothes or we'll freeze." Peeta stares at me, looking hesitant.

"Katniss-"

"We need body heat, Peeta. The clothes are getting the way. Trust me," I hate myself. I can't look at him.

Without another word, Peeta pulls off his shirt and places it carefully to dry next to the sleeping bag. He turns from me and pulls his pants off as well. He lay in just his underwear, looking up at the ceiling determinedly. "I always trust you, Katniss."

Okay, my turn. Thankful that it was too dark to see my blush, I yanked off my pants and threw them out of the sleeping bad. I removed my shirt and lay next to him, staring at the ceiling awkwardly in only my thin underwear. This is going to be harder than I thought. I had hoped that he would take the hint and initiate things from here. But I should have known better. He is too much a gentleman to do anything he wasn't sure I wanted. It was going to have to be all me. The thought was terrifying. Peeta was the first boy that I've kissed. The only experience I have is listening to other women tell stories. _Give them a show, sweetheart, _Haymitch's voice echoes in my head.

"Peeta," I whisper with my back to him. "I'm still cold. Could we huddle?" Peeta is silent for a minute, probably torn between his want to take care of me and the temptation of our bodies being so close. After a few moments, I can hear him shifting beside me and then feel his body cup mine from behind. His warm breath is inches from my ear, but his arms do not encircle me as usual. I reach behind me and grab his hand in my own. Slowly, I bring his arm around my body until it rests right underneath my bare breasts. He gives the smallest of sighs. I've never felt so lost. How can I am ever going to pull this off? I wait, hoping beyond hope that he has gotten the message. He hasn't. I wriggle my hips a little, pretending that I am just trying to get comfortable but really grinding into him slightly. Finally! I can feel something stirring behind me. Under my breasts, his thumb lightly traces designs on my skin, almost absentmindedly. It feels amazing. I can feel my body responding, my heart starting to beat a little faster.

I crane my neck and lean in for a kiss. Peeta kisses me softly, slowly. It's not enough. I have to make him want this more. I pick up the intensity of our kissing, biting his lip lightly and dancing with his tongue. He pulls me closer and I wriggle my hips again. He inhales sharply through our kiss and I smile to myself. Taking his hand again, I guide it up to rest on my breast. Peeta tenses up instantly.

"Katniss, what are you doing?" he murmurs in my ear, his voice much huskier than usual. He hasn't moved his hand.

I smirk and roll over to face him. "I'm generating body heat," I give him a sensual kiss and press my body into his. "I don't want to freeze tonight. Do you?"

He laughs a little, and his body relaxes. "I don't want you to freeze tonight either," he squeezes my breasts suddenly and I gasp softly with surprise. "In fact," he breathes in my ear, giving me goosebumps, "I'm going to do everything possible to make sure you don't freeze tonight." With these words, he draws my face to him and kisses me fiercely. His free hand pulls the tie from my braid and runs his fingers through my loose hair. Playfully, his other hand lightly pinches my nipple

I like him touching me and I'm ashamed. How could he go this far so easily? Doesn't he remember that all of Panem is watching him? No, he doesn't care. He's being wishing something like this would happen for a while I guess. I have to make this believable. I need to forget the whole world is watching me lose my virginity. I need to convince them I don't care they are there. I have to make everyone believe that Peeta is the love of my life.

Even Peeta.

I let my hand drift down his body. I stop right above the waistband of his underwear. It's tenting a little. Obviously all this is having an effect on him after all. Knowing I can't hesitate again, I pull them off and Peeta is completely naked. "You look cold, Peeta. I'll warm you up." I whisper and my fingers graze his penis lightly.

He inhales quickly at the sensation. "Yeah…" he mutters distractedly. "I don't want to freeze…" I explore his manhood thoroughly, feeling it hardening in my hand. His balls are soft and he arches his back a little when I cup them. He jumps a little as my hand curls around the base. He kisses my neck longingly and I jerk my hand upward, relishing his almost inaudible moan. He drops his hand into my lap and traces me through the fabric. It's my turn to gasp. I've never cared about anything sexual before but Peeta's hands touching me awaken something within me. At this moment, I wanted him to touch me more than anything else I've ever wanted. I shakily took off my underwear. He looked at me, right into my eyes, and rolled on top of me, forcing my legs farther apart. He slipped a finger inside and brushed my pearl. I cried out, the pleasure overtaking me. He smiled mischievously and pinched a nipple.

"Is there something you want, Katniss?" He moved his hand slowly, tantalizingly from my pearl to thrust inside of me over and over. I could hardly stand it. He stopped, waiting for my answer

"Peeta, please!" I found myself moaning. "…please…" Was that good enough? He kissed me full on the lips and moved down my body until his face was level with my puss.

"Katniss?" He flicked his tongue teasingly. "I asked you a question."

"You, Peeta!" I gasp. "I want you…" He smiled again and his tongue tickled me until I thought I was going to explode. He shoved two fingers inside of me again and again. I ran my fingers through his hair and climaxed with a moan. He kissed me and then it was me sliding down to meet his manhood. There's no way I could owe him anything if I do this right. I take it in my mouth and run my tongue over it. Peeta moaned. I feel a sense of triumph so I suck enthusiastically and squeeze. The effect is almost instant as he becomes harder and his breathing quickens.

As I work, I wonder if all this is in vain. I wonder if the sponsors are going to see right through me. I wonder if it's all for nothing. I cannot let this happen. I have to take it to the next level. _Don't hate me, Peeta._

"Hey Peeta," I purr sultrily, stopping for a moment. He groans in frustration.

"…don't stop, Katniss….please…."

"I want to feel you inside of me." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Peeta looks surprised but rolls me over on my back and kneels down with my legs thrown over his shoulders. I'm terrified all of a sudden. Everyone says it will hurt. I'm no stranger to pain, but I'm still afraid. Have I taken this too far? I guess my uncertainties show in my face because he leans down and kissed me softly.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asks. He's too confident, obviously not a virgin. I wonder who he's done it with? I can't think about that right now.

"Yeah," I manage to say. _Believe me, Peeta. Do it._

"I won't hurt you," he whispers. "How could I? I love you. I've always loved you." He kisses me and pushes himself in. He waits until I am comfortable and moves slowly, rocking me into him. "I love you, I love you," he murmurs over and over and I am suddenly glad that it's Peeta here with me. I've never felt this close to anyone before. He kisses me and begins to push harder. It doesn't hurt anymore. He thrusts into me again and again, quietly saying my name until he body tenses up and he grips me like an iron vise.

After he finishes, we clutch each other and try to get some sleep. He falls asleep immediately but I lay awake watching him sleep. Neither of us had heard the basket that landed outside our cave but I stared at it glumly. I didn't know what to feel about Peeta, even now. Was it the right thing to do, what I just orchestrated? Obviously our sponsors thought so. Was Haymitch watching the whole time? My mother and Prim? How awkward! Shit, what if Gale saw? I'll never be able to look him in the face again. I don't want to think about tomorrow. What would Peeta think if he knew why I did what I did? He'd hate me. He should hate me, I'm disgusting. I'll never tell him. I'll just swallow my shame and never let anyone know what really happened. I'll just let everyone think I'm crazy in love with him. The whole scheme wasn't completely unsuccessful. After all, he was warm now, wasn't he? And didn't we get a huge basket full of food so he won't starve? It was worth it. It had to be. I have to save him.

Whatever it takes.


	2. Peeta

A/N: Here is my second crack at Whatever It Takes, told from Peeta's perspective. I've never gotten so many hits from a story before. It just goes to show that sex sells (:. This is still short, I might add filler, but I've got a few other things up my sleeve so we'll see what happens. Please continue to review, it really brightens up my day. Enjoy!

WHATEVER IT TAKES  
Chapter 2: Peeta

By: The Scarletclad Mage

She doesn't want to be alone tonight. She doesn't even let me leave to take a shower and wash this ridiculous makeup off. Cinna has done a phenomenal job on her as usual. Seeing her in that beautiful white wedding dress makes me wish the slew of lies I told on camera is true so badly that it hurts. Even still, this dark mockingjay that he turned her into is so classically Katniss. Beautiful and dangerous. The seed of the revolution. God, I wish I could be there after the Games to look out for her. The thought of being torn from her is almost more than I can bear. But what alternative do I have? Both of surviving was a fluke that will not be repeated this time around. She thinks she is going to die this time. She is actively going to work against me to spare her life. My love, this is one battle you can never win. I am going to save her at any cost. Whatever it takes.

She pulls me into her room. She still hasn't said anything about the whole pregnancy thing. I don't know what I expect her to say anyway. I go to wash my face in the bathroom and change into something to sleep in that I find in one of Katniss's drawers. After I am clean and dressed, I walk in to see that she is calmly sitting on the bed, still fully dressed and staring out the window absentmindedly.

"I can't reach the buttons," she turns and says in a low voice. "Will you do it?" I sit behind her on the bed to try to figure out the complexities of women's clothing. I manage to find the buttons she is talking about, a long row of tiny black pearls winding down her spine. I undo the first two and am suddenly overwhelmed by the sight of the creamy skin of her back. It's silly, considering that I've made love to her already once. Other than that, we've slept together innocently several times so her body is not unfamiliar to me. She just looks so fragile and vulnerable with the buttons of this dress half undone down her back. Like I was catching of glimpse of what she would be like if she hadn't had such an oppressive life. I know my nights are numbered, each second is precious. I can't help myself. I lean in and undo another button, then place my lips feather-light where the button exposed her skin. She smells intoxicating. I continue to unbutton her in this way, achingly slowly, savoring every second. When I get to the last button, she is still sitting perfectly still. I'm not sure what to think. But she hasn't pushed me away yet so I decide to go bolder to test her reaction to me. I move closer and kiss the nape of her neck softly, pulling the long pins that hold up her elaborate hairstyle until her dark hair falls curling in waves down her shoulders. I think I hear a soft sigh…

Suddenly she stands up, clutching the bodice of her dress to her so it will not fall off. Did I go too far? Obviously. Is she wishing I am Gale instead? Probably. Am I doomed to forever be shunted to the friend category, a victim of unrequited love for the rest of time?

Definitely.

Let's not get dramatic here. If she doesn't want me, I'm not going to force myself on her. I love her too much for that. If she wants me to just hold her tonight like all the other times, I will do that and be thankful. In the last moments of the Games, after we have killed everyone else and I am bleeding to death from a self-inflicted stab wound, I will be thinking of this night until the end. Katniss in the wedding gown she was supposed to wear to be my bride. My diamond.

She turns back to face me and stands right in front of me. She shrugs once and the gown seems to slide off of her in slow motion. She is left wearing this little black slip and an expression on her face that I can't read.

It takes everything I have not to grab her right now. I look at her face with what I am hoping is a pious-like expression.

She closes the distance between us by straddling me with those long legs of hers and kissing me roughly. I guess I was supposed to grab her after all. I'm too numb with shock to really think about it, so I don't and just run my hands along her back, feeling her muscles tensing up at my touch. She's kissing me hard, harder than we have kissed before. I realize that she is kissing me like this because she expects to die in the arena. Ordinarily this type of thinking from her gets me angry, but it's hard to get upset when Katniss has tangled her hands in your hair. No matter. Two can play at this game. This is our very last night of privacy, maybe my last night of life. I am going to make it count.

I roll her over with ease and strip off my shirt. She runs her hands over my chest immediately, playfully tweaking a nipple in the same way I did to her that one time. I can also feel her subtly raising her hips to meet mine. My reaction is inevitable and she smiles with triumph underneath me. I grab her arms and pin them above her head, feeling her tensing with apprehension. I kiss down her neck until I'm kissing right above the swell of her right breast. I kiss her breast slowly on the fabric, everywhere but avoiding the center, and watch her nipple slowly harden through the thin material. I know she wants me to go faster, she is making that clear by grinding a little harder on me, but I am resisting her and making her wait for it this time. I give the second breast the same treatment until both nipples are so sensitive that when I breathe on one, she gives the softest of frustrated moans. Taking this as my cue, I jerk the neckline down and suck as hard as I can while at the same time reaching up the slip to press lightly on her clit. The combination of sensations makes her cry out. I smile to myself.

_This is what it would have been like on our wedding night, _I think to myself as I work my fingers under her slip. _We might have actually tried for a child in a different life. _The thought makes me forlornly sad. I could already see her daughter in my mind's eye, fiery with the same silver gray eyes as her mother. I wish I could meet her. _Maybe I wouldn't have to die to save her in a different life._

I am shaken from my train of thought with Katniss sidling out from underneath me with feline fluidity. A brief wrestling match leaves us both without a stitch of clothing and me suddenly on my back with her mouth wrapped around my hardness.

For someone that has done this maybe twice, she sure knows what she's doing. It feels so amazing that I am having trouble stringing words together to try to tell her. I also make the mistake of actually looking down at her between my legs and very nearly lose it. After a while of resisting, I am bucking up with her stroking shamelessly. I think she is about to finish me off, but she crawls up to kiss my face and doesn't let her body touch mine.

Agony.

She whispers something in my ear that I can't understand. "Love me," she says again. "Love me, Peeta."

_I've always loved you, _I want to say, but I know that isn't what she means. She always gets uncomfortable when I try to tell her how I feel. This isn't making love for her like it is for me. This is sex for Katniss. No matter. If sex is what she needs tonight, I will do it for her.

I insert a finger inside and hear her sigh. She kisses me harder when I start to move that finger deeper so I add another. I am painfully rock-hard. I flip her on her back to get a better position, my fingers never stopping the rhythm. I know she's ready for me now.

Without really missing a beat, I slide myself in. She squirms a little, so I wait for a moment for her to get used to the feeling. I roll my hips, watching her face closely. When she gasps out loud, I know I've found her sweet spot and my target. At this point, I am tired of holding back. This is my last time. I want her to remember this, to remember me. I want to forget tomorrow. I want to make her forget tomorrow. There is nothing left for us but this moment. I want to live today.

She doesn't want my gentleness right now. We move like the desperate, tormented souls that we both are. Her fingernails leave trails on my back. It's so different this time.

Afterwards, she turns her back to me and drapes my arm over her. Her hair is in my face. It smells like lilies and sweat. She falls asleep quickly, the usual when we sleep together. I can't sleep. I lie awake in the night, holding her and unwilling to let sleep overtake me. I know I can't keep Katniss. Hell, I couldn't even keep her before we knew about going back into the arena. I know I'm on borrowed time, lying with her on this bed. I just wish I could die knowing for sure what she thinks about me. I want this to be real not around the cameras. I wish she could understand that this was never about settling a debt between us.

I love her. And I am going to save her. Even if it means fighting her in the end. Even if it means making her hate me. When those trumpets sound at the end of the Games, Katniss will the one left standing. I am going to make sure of it.

Whatever it takes.


End file.
